Countdown
by Ti Amo La Luna E Ritorno
Summary: It's New Year's Eve and Isabelle is forcing Clary to go to Jace Wayland's annual party. Will it be the horrible night that she's expecting it to be, or will it turn out to be one of the best nights of her life? One-shot.


**Hey, guys! I hope you all are doing well! It's been a while since I've posted any new stories or anything, and that's because I'm working on a story that I want to finish. I'm trying my best to work on that, so just be patient, I can't wait to share it with you guys! So keep your eyes open for that! Although I've been focusing mainly on that story, this story popped into my head a little while ago and I needed to get it down! So without me rambling any further, enjoy!**

"Do I have to go?" Clary wined. "Why can't I just stay home?"

Isabelle pulled another shirt off of its hanger and held it up to examine. She must have decided against it because she tossed it over her shoulder with a sigh. The cloth hit the ground with a light _thud_ and she stepped out of the closet to glare at her friend.

"You are going," Isabelle said in a tone that left no room for argument. "It's the annual Wayland New Year's Eve party. The entire school is going to be there. You bailed out last year and there's no way in hell I'm letting you do it again."

Clary groaned and fell back against Isabelle's bed. Isabelle had been bothering her for weeks about going to this party.

Every year, Jace Wayland and his cousin, Will, hold a New Year's Eve party at the Wayland manor. It's always deemed the best party of the year. The entire school goes, except for Clary. She had always managed to come up with an excuse to get out of going every year. This year, however, Isabelle was not letting her get away with staying home, pointing out that it was their senior year (therefore their last year to go).

Clary and Isabelle were currently in Isabelle's room, trying to pick out what to wear to the all-important party. Well, more like Isabelle was picking out their clothes while Clary continued to try to persuade her to let her stay home.

"This is perfect!" Isabelle suddenly shrieked, causing Clary to startle and nearly fall off the bed. Sitting up, she rubbed her ears, glaring at Isabelle.

"Jeez, Iz," she complained. "Burst my eardrum, why don't you?"

Isabelle ignored her friend's jab and threw a few pieces of fabric at her. "Get dressed so I can do your hair and makeup."

Clary held up the outfit that Isabelle threw at her and scoffed. "No way am I wearing this, Iz. These don't even look like real clothes!"

"I've worn worse," Isabelle muttered under her breath, already pulling out various makeup tools that looked more like torture devices. Clary groaned again but began pulling the shirt over her head.

After she was dressed, she studied herself in the mirror with a frown. Isabelle had chosen a short black pencil skirt that barely covered anything, and a tight black sequined crop top with a neckline that dipped way too low for Clary's liking. She tried desperately to pull the shirt down to cover more skin but with no success. Isabelle came up behind her and smiled at her best friend.

"You look hot," she smirked.

"I look like a stripper," Clary deadpanned.

"Hey, those are my clothes," Isabelle retorted. "Not shut up and sit down so I can finish your look."

Clary fell back into the chair with a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. She sat pouting while Isabelle pulled her hair back into a complicated braid and covered her face in various makeup products.

After what seemed like hours of pulling, brushing, and a few curses from Clary, Isabelle leaned back against her desk and admired her work. She pinned down a few looks curls and finally announced that she was done. Clary took the handheld mirror that was handed to her and held it up to her face. She blinked a few times, her mouth going slack. The reflection in the mirror couldn't possibly be _her_ could it? This girl was stunning. Her lips were filled in with the perfect shade of dark red lipstick and her smokey eye makeup made her emerald green orbs stand out against her flaming red hair.

Sighing in defeat, Clary lowered the mirror and looked up at Isabelle. "I gotta give it to you, Iz. You do good work."

"I know," Isabelle said nonchalantly, shooting her a cocky smile. She pushed herself away from the desk and pulled open her closet door again while Clary held up the mirror again. "Now all you need is shoes. These would look perfect!"

Clary looked up right as Isabelle dropped a pair of heels at her feet. The red heels had to be at least five inches tall with a pointed toe. In other words, they were an accident waiting to happen. "No way." Clary finally put the mirror down and got to her feet. "I could never walk in those. I'd prefer not to break both my ankles tonight."

"You're not gonna break anything," Isabelle insisted. "Now quit being a baby and put them on. We're already late." Isabelle turned her back and grabbed her purse before Clary could protest some more. Sighing, she hastily shoved her feet into the death traps and straightened up on shaky legs.

Isabelle motioned to the door and they made their way to the car. Clary stumbled twice just walking to the front door. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

They could hear the obnoxiously loud music before the manor even came into view. Turning the corner, Clary saw hundreds of cars lining the streets while others were parked on the grass. Isabelle pulled over and they both climbed out of the car.

Isabelle walked into the house first, motioning for Clary to follow her. She followed Isabelle closely, trying to ignore the glances being thrown her way. Guys raked their gazes up and down her body while girls glared at her over their boyfriend's shoulders. Isabelle shoved a red solo cup into her hands and Clary immediately lifted it to her lips. She didn't expect the bitter taste and gagged on the alcohol, putting the cup down with a frown.

"Let's dance!" Isabelle shouted over the loud music, pulling her toward the sea of bodies. Clary looked up and eyed the cluster of people warily.

"You go," Clary insisted, yanking her hand out of Isabelle's grasp. "I'll meet you later."

A guy with dark hair and glasses came up behind Isabelle and slid his hands around her waist from behind. She turned her head and looked at him right as he leaned down and whispered something in her ear. She giggled and nodded before turning back to Clary. "I'll come find you later." Clary nodded and watched as the guy pulled Isabelle onto the dance floor and pressed his body against hers.

Clary made her way back in the direction of the front door and slid out onto the porch. She relaxed as the cool night air hit her face and allowed her to inhale a clear breath. She sat on the porch swing that hung off to the side and admired the view in front of her.

The Wayland manor sat overlooking all of Manhattan. The city lights illuminated the dark night, looking more like a postcard picture than an actual view. Cars honked in the distance, streetlights changed from red to green, and an airplane flew overhead with a deafening rumble. For the first time since arriving at the party, she felt at peace. She didn't know how long she sat on the porch swing before a deep voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Clary whipped her head in the direction of the voice. The person stepped into the light and the first thing that Clary noticed were a pair of piercing gold eyes staring back at her. Jace Wayland pushed his slim fingers through his blonde hair before taking another step closer to her.

"What?"

Jace jerked his head in the direction of the city. "The view."

"Oh," Clary blinked and gave a small nod. "Yes, it is beautiful."

Jace looked out at the view for a few seconds before returning his gaze back on her. He motioned to the swing with his hand. "Want some company?"

Clary couldn't believe this. Jace Wayland was actually talking to her. Jace Wayland, the boy who every guy wanted to be and every girl wanted to date. Why would someone like him want to sit with someone like her? It didn't make sense. He was the most popular person in school and she...wasn't. She was known solely as 'the girl who's a really good artist.' No one really knew her name, or took the time to learn it. Meanwhile, here was Jace Wayland just voluntarily approaching her at his party.

It took Clary a second to realize that he had asked her a question and she had yet to answer it. "Um... s-sure."

Jace smiled at her and she had to admit that she liked how it made the corners of his eyes crinkle up. He sat down next to her, his knee brushing hers, and placed the red solo cup he had been holding on the armrest. He sighed and leaned back, the swing creaking with the movement. The only sound was the music blaring from inside the house.

"So what are you doing out here?" Jace suddenly broke the silence. She looked sideways at him and he smirked. "The party is inside."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "I could be asking you the same thing."

His smirk morphed into a real smile and he let out a deep chuckle. "It was getting a little too crowded in there. I needed some fresh air." Clary nodded in understanding and leaned back next to him, crossing her legs in front of her. He nudged her shoulder with his. "So I answered your question. Your turn."

She sighed and looked down at her hands folded in her lap. "Parties aren't really my thing."

"Ah," Jace sighed. "Your friend made you come I'm guessing?"

"Yup."

"That's rough."

"Could've been worse," she admitted.

"True," he agreed. He turned to face her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "And just to think, if you hadn't come here tonight, you wouldn't have had the opportunity to enjoy my company."

Clary laughed. A real laugh that came from deep inside her throat. "Wow, a little self-centered, are we?"

"Me?" Jace scoffed, pointing to himself. " Self-centered? Never!"

A comfortable silence fell between them again until chants echoed from inside the house.

"The countdown's beginning," Jace observed. Clary listened to the voices in the house and, sure enough, they were counting down the last second of the year. "Come on." He quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. He practically dragged her into the house being she couldn't run in the horrid heels that she let Isabelle put her in. They made it into the living room right as the countdown came to a close. Jace didn't let go of her hand as everyone yelled in unison.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

"Six!"

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

A loud explosion of cheers and whistled followed the final second. Some people continued to scream and cheer while couples pulled each other close and smashed their lips together. She looked up at Jace, who was smiling down at her. He gently brushed a loose curl behind her ear before leaning down so his face was merely inches from hers. Her breath hitched in realization at what was happening. He hesitated just as his lips were going to meet hers, giving her a chance to pull away. She didn't. She stepped closer to him and allowed him to close the gap between their lips.

It was like someone had ignited a fire in Clary's veins, burning every inch of her skin. Jace pressed his soft lips to hers, slowly looping his arms around her waist. She responded by reaching up and dragging her shaky fingers through his hair, pushing it away from his face. She kept one hand tangled in his hair and lowered the other one to rest on his chest, right over his heart. She could feel the frantic beating of his heart beneath her palm and she couldn't help but smile against his lips. He was just as nervous as she was.

Jace slowly detached their lips but kept her close, leaning his forehead against hers. They struggled to catch their breath as their eyes locked together.

Finally, Jace smiled, the one that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. "Happy New Year's, Clary."

Her own smile spread across her face and her fingers continued to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. She slowly brought his head down to hers again as she whispered, "Happy New Year's, Jace," before crashing her lips to his once again.

 **So that's it! I hope you guys like it! Please review, favorite, follow, and all that fun stuff! Thanks so much for reading! If you liked this, please feel free to check out my other stories, it would mean the world to me! Anyway, I will see you guys soon!**

 **~ Ti Amo La Luna E Ritorno**


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